Gloucester’s summer events programme this year is as strong as ever, despite a couple of notable events taking a year off in 2018. The Food Festival at Gloucester Quays has been cancelled for 2018 to allow the refurbishment of Orchard Square (the former car park area outside the Waterways Museum) to be done. This means that the beach in the same area will also not be happening.

There are no concerts at the Kingsholm Stadium, which has previously hosted the likes of Elton John, Tom Jones and Lionel Richie, this year as the hallowed turf is ripped up to be replaced by a new hybrid surface.

Both projects should produce long-term benefits – a much-improved public space at the Docks and a better playing surface for Johan Ackermann’s men at Kingsholm.

Our public spaces are important. We now have a wonderful new area outside the Cathedral, as a result of Project Pilgrim, which has already been used for the launch of the month-long FestivAll in May. The enhanced Orchard Square will mean a greater potential for events as well as a more attractive environment all year-round.

Next year, I want us to finally be on site and delivering a new Kings Square. I know people have “heard it all before” and will “believe it when it happens”, but I really believe we are closer to delivering it than we ever have been before. The Aethelflaed events in June showed the potential of St Oswalds Priory to host occasional events.

A very strong events programme for the city this summer

Despite these high profile absentees, there is still a very strong events programme for the city this summer – ranging from the Aethelflaed celebrations last month to the traditional Carnival and funfair, to the Siege of Gloucester anniversary in September. The Carnival, which has undergone a revival in recent years, will be even better this year thanks to a £37,000 grant from the Arts Council to the Carnival Arts Partnership.

Events like the Kings Jam Festival of hip hop and urban culture, the PRO Insurance-backed “Gloucester Goes Retro” and the WSP Solicitors-sponsored “Art in the City” show the potential of Kings Square to stage these activities, as well as livening up the surrounding gate streets.

Despite the budget reductions of recent years, the City Council still spends £160,000 a year on staging events. We don’t do it alone by any means – Marketing Gloucester delivers most of the events on behalf of the City Council, but events are also put on by organisations like Gloucester Quays, Gloucester’s Business Improvement District, Gloucester Culture Trust and others.

For more information about what’s happening in Gloucester this summer, read The Local Answer or visit www.thecityofgloucester.co.uk